Explainer
S1000D Illustrations and ICNs, Explained
The Idea
Graphics Are Objects, Not Page Furniture
Illustrations are expensive to make and slow to change, and the same exploded view may serve a procedure, a parts list, and a training module. So S1000D manages them separately. Each illustration or multimedia object gets an information control number, and a data module refers to it by that number rather than embedding it. Change the illustration, issue it again, and every module that references it can be found.
It is the same principle as the common information repositories and the publication module: one controlled copy, referenced wherever it is needed.
The Formats
Two Ways to Build an ICN
CAGE-code based
Short: 15 to 20 characters, not counting the ICN- prefix and the hyphens. Built from the originator's CAGE code, a unique identifier, an issue number, and a security classification. A real one from the official Bike sample:
ICN-07GB6-BIKECI0001-001-01
Model identification code based
Long: 26 to 44 characters. It carries the model identification code, system difference code, and SNS like a data module code, then identifiers for the responsible company and originator, a unique identifier, a variant, the issue, and the security classification, so the illustration can be read against the product breakdown. From the Bike sample:
ICN-S1000DBIKE-AAA-D000000-0-U8025-00001-A-001-01
Character counts and patterns are from the specification's default BREX; the segment descriptions above are our reading of what each part contains.
Metadata
The ICN Metadata File
Issue 4.2 added a schema for ICN metadata files: controlled records of an illustration or multimedia object's metadata, with an identification and status section of their own and one entry for each format variation of the object. The ICN names the object; the metadata file says what it is and what forms it exists in.
Which graphic formats a program uses is its own decision, recorded in its business rules. The official samples use CGM for line art, which defense programs often require; our CGM explainer and vector or raster cover the choice.
FAQ
Questions We Hear
What is an ICN in S1000D?
An information control number: the identifier S1000D gives an illustration or multimedia object. Data modules reference illustrations by their ICN, so a graphic is managed, revised, and reused independently of the text that shows it.
What are the two ICN formats?
A CAGE-code-based ICN, which the default BREX describes as 15 to 20 characters (excluding the ICN- prefix and hyphens), and a model-identification-code-based ICN of 26 to 44 characters, which also carries the system breakdown. Both end with an issue number and a security classification.
What is an ICN metadata file?
Introduced in Issue 4.2, it holds metadata about an illustration or multimedia object, including one entry for each format variation of it. It lets a program manage the facts about a graphic (its formats, contents, and supporting files) with the same control it applies to data modules.
Which graphic formats does S1000D accept?
That is a program decision recorded in its business rules and BREX, not one answer for every program. The official Bike sample itself uses CGM alongside common raster formats. Defense programs often specify CGM for line art; see our explainer on CGM for why.
Get In Touch
Bringing Legacy Illustrations Across?
Illustrations are usually the slowest stream in a conversion. We plan them as their own workstream, assign ICNs to your rules, and carry them through to delivery.